Thursday, October 21, 2010

Agitated Kinglets and Chickadees=....

As I took my usual morning walk at Brander Park (Port Lambton) this morning, I heard a group of agitated and noisy kinglets and chickadees. It could only mean one thing...an owl!
I had my hopes up that it would be a Saw-whet, but it was actually a Screech Owl. It was too early in the morning to try for a photo, but I managed to get close to it. Unfortunately it was in the thickest and most tangely part of the woodlot, so it was difficult to get to.
It is actually a new addition to my list for Brander Park (199). I have had the occasional Horned Owl, but not a Screech.
After work, I went to the same spot and the owl was still there. It was well hidden and I could not get a good photo. To boot, it was starting to rain heavily and dark clouds were overhead.
One learns that agitated birds can indicate that an owl is present. I have found Saw-whet and Screech Owls through this process.

I remember one time I came across a Saw-whet Owl that was being mobbed by nine species of warblers, a Winter Wren, a Swainson's Thrush, A White-throated Sparrow and a Junco! This was up at Lake Superior P. P. back in 1999.

To wait out the rain, I went to Port Lambton dock and saw a group of mallards swimming around. One stood out. Not sure what to call this one, but perhaps some sort of hybridization has occurred.